Container Gardening - Day 15: 21 Days of Garden Fatigue

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Container gardening is becoming more and more fashionable as people's gardens reduce in size. Even for the gardener with acres of land they are still very popular. The main benefit of container plants are that they allow a gardener to express themselves and change their garden at a whim.

Apart from the increased maintenance and water use there are few points that will help you from keeping your container garden looking fresh. Read on....

Water Retention the biggest problem many gardeners find with their container plants is for them to dry out in summer and become waterlogged in winter. During the peak of the summer months you may need to water many of your container plants twice every day depending on the size of your plant and the size of the pot. This is because your plant will transpire naturally, as does your garden plants, but they also lose moisture as their is less soil to hold it.
Fertilising your container plants is another area of concern. Because container plants require more water they lose nutrient though the soil quicker than a plant positioned in a garden bed. Use water-soluble slow release fertilisers in conjuction with a good liquid feed such as liquified worm castings or seaweed extract.
Adequate Drainage is important to stop your plants roots rotting. Apart from having a good potting medium that can drain well, on bigger pots try filling the bottom with broken tiles, bricks or even small stones. Also, lift the pot off the ground with some type of support such as bricks or pot feet so that the container can allow the pot to drain.

Posted by Stuart on January 25, 2006 4:07 AM | Permalink | Check to Subscribe to this Comment:

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